Nigeria Secures Highest Number of Wild Card Slots for 2026 Africa Scrabble Championship
Nigeria has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) Wild Card allocations for the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship (ASC), with four players earning automatic qualification for the continental tournament scheduled to hold later this year in Monrovia, Liberia.
PANASA announced seven Wild Card recipients in total, with Nigeria accounting for more than half of the automatic qualifiers, while Kenya secured the remaining three slots.
Headlining Nigeria's contingent is reigning African Scrabble champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, who qualifies automatically as the defending continental champion. Also earning direct qualification are Cyril Umebiye, a President's Cup champion, Prestige Archibong, the African Under-19 champion, and Sophia Ekeruche, the African Under-15 champion.
Kenya's automatic qualifiers include President's Cup winners Allan Oyende and Nicholas Mbugua, as well as Bernard Amuke, who received the ECASA 2026 Wild Card.
Explaining the selection process, PANASA President Adekoyejo Adegbesan said Amuke was awarded the ECASA Wild Card after Oyende had already secured automatic qualification through his President's Cup victory, making Amuke the next eligible player.
PANASA stated that its Wild Card system recognises players who have won PANASA-organised competitions, including sanctioned regional championships, since the conclusion of the previous Africa Scrabble Championship.
The association further clarified that the Wild Card allocations are separate from each country's official championship quota. Participating nations will still be entitled to register up to 15 home-based players and five diaspora players for the championship.
While the seven players have secured automatic qualification, PANASA noted that they must complete the official registration process within the stipulated registration period to confirm their participation in the tournament.
Congratulating the qualifiers, PANASA expressed confidence that the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship in Monrovia will once again showcase the highest level of Scrabble competition on the continent.
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